Yes, I pack a box of the larger gallon size Ziploc bags when I travel with the children. They have multiple uses such as storing wet bathing suits, housing any “treasures” that the kids find on vacation such as shells or rocks, and you can use them to bring a dry change of clothing to the beach in case you don’t plan on going back to your hotel right away.

I don’t advise a lot of screen time when on vacation, but if you needed to, you can even “waterproof” your phone or tablet by sticking them in the gallon-sized ziplock bag if you’re worried about your electronics at the beach, lake, or water park.

Amazon often has some pretty sweet 20% off coupons for Ziploc brand products

This is only for babies and very young toddlers, of course, but the travel bassinet can be a lifesaver. They pack up extremely well, and can serve as a bed, changing table, and even a diaper bag! The travel bassinet is great when staying in a hotel so you don’t have to use the “loaner” crib (seriously, who wants to use that?) or bring along a bulky Pack N’ Play.

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What sort of toys depends on the age of your children, of course. Personally, I find that Pre-school and Elementary school-aged kids are the hardest to entertain. Babies are going to cry regardless of what you try to entertain them with, and older kids typically have their own cell phones or tablets. For the age 3-10 set, I find that creative toys that can be used in a variety of ways are best. Things such as the Travel Aquadoodle and the Melissa and Doug On the Go Water Wow books are a big hit with my older two kids, who are 5 and 9.

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I don’t know about your kids, but mine are crazy about taking pictures. My daughter is my little documentarian when we go out – I have photos and videos that she’s taken everywhere from California to Florida to my own backyard. Kids see things differently than adults, for example, I might see a tree and say “Oh, good, shade!” but when my daughter sees the same tree she might see cool patterns in the bark or a really weird bug – and takes a picture of it. It’s really fun to upload the pictures after a trip and have her explain them to me.

When picking out a digital camera for kids the main thing that you want is a sturdy camera, preferably waterproof, that has a removable memory card for easy photo uploading. Other than that, your budget can dictate what features you look for in a camera for your little ones.

I hope that you found this article on Top 5 Things that you Need to Bring on Vacation with Kids helpful. My vacation is coming up in July, and you’d better believe that I’m bringing everything that I have here on the list! Thanks for reading, and enjoy your vacation.